Carrot and Ginger Soup

In keeping with the theme of soup for the month of January here is a quick and tasty carrot soup I made for our "adopted" daughter Mary's birthday.  This soup is very velvety and smooth and loaded with vitamins.  The ginger adds a very nice spicy lemon flavor to the sweet carrots and onions.  I love it with a dollop of sour cream slowly melting into the bright orange-colored soup. It is a perfect first course for any meal and goes particularly well with a hunk of dark dense pumpernickel bread slathered with butter.



Carrot and Ginger Soup
serves 8

3 Tbsp butter
2 lbs carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 large onion diced
2 stalks celery chopped
2 cloves garlic minced
3 Tbsp finely minced fresh ginger
6 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp honey
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 cup heavy cream

Sour cream and chopped parsley for garnish.

In a large pot over medium high heat, melt butter.  Add carrots, onion, garlic and ginger and cook for 15 minutes stirring occasionally until onions are translucent.  Add stock, cover pot and cook for one hour until carrots are very tender.

With an immersion blender, puree soup until very smooth.  Add salt, white pepper and honey and stir until well mixed.  Add heavy cream and stir until blended.  Adjust seasoning to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve hot with a dollop of sour cream  and chopped parsley for a garnish.